With the New Year brings new opportunities, especially with your company’s public relations plan. The New Year should be a time of reflecting on what works and what doesn’t for your brand. Use the New Year as an opportunity to revamp your program and better sell your product in 2015.

1. Create a forward-thinking strategy for your public relations plan.

I know this sounds simple, but too often companies (large or small) don’t create a plan for communicating with their customers and the public. Like with most things, when you don’t plan, your product suffers. Instead of building up to important dates for your company (like your anniversary or a product launch), your industry (important dates within the industry you sell), or your customer (like holidays or current events), you’ll be missing the wave of opportunity to tell your story and sell your product.

Set a schedule of monthly or quarterly “campaigns” and include key dates for your company, your industry and your customers. It will allow you to build relevant themes and help you focus your communications strategy and messages. It will ensure that when everyone is focused on the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day or Spring Break, you’re talking about what is important to them.

2. Get your company up-to-speed on digital/social media.

You’ve been hearing it for years, but too many companies are still behind the curve on digital. The opportunities are limitless. If you haven’t already, make digital a piece of your public relations program. It’s affordable and it’s effective.

Simply creating the right properties (likely Facebook and Twitter) and creating a regular content schedule doesn’t take a lot of time. And companies (like ours) are willing to do it for you, very affordably. There are lots of programs that can help effectively tell your story, but commit to dipping your toe in the water in 2015 by making digital a part of your public relations plan this year.

3. Revisit your company story.

Consumers are inundated with media and advertising. Twenty-four hour news, mobile, and digital media have become part of nearly every hour, of every day for consumers. Is your company standing out in the crowd? Or are you stuck in the same mode you’ve been in for years.

I always tell clients that the best way to stand out from your competitors, is to have a compelling company/product story. Many times, companies don’t believe that they have a story. But they should. There was a reason the business was founded or the product created. Either the product was innovative, or better, or the service was provided more effectively or affordably.

Whatever that story may be, it’s time you dust it off and put it to use again. Consumers want to know what you and your product stand for. Tell them your story to build brand loyalty.

This year, you can make meaningful improvements to your public relations efforts. Do it by making a plan, committing to digital, and better telling your story.